Thanks for the explanation, David. From everything I've heard so far about IFR flying, it's a game of "Simon Says." And Simon's on various frequencies that you need to keep up with.
David Megginson wrote: > Matt Fienberg writes: > > > For an IFR interested VFR student, what's an MDA, and what does it > > mean to bust it by 20 ft? I'd guess at "minimum designated > > altitude?" > > MDA is Minimum Descent Altitude. Non-precision approaches (such as > NDB, VOR, LOC, LOC-BC, and GPS) provide only horizontal course > guidance. For altitude, you pass a series of step-down fixes (such as > a DME distance or a radial from another navaid), where you're allowed > to descend to a new altitude limit before levelling off again. The > last levelling-off altitude is the MDA, and you cannot go below that > until you actually see the runway. 500 ft AGL is a typical MDA, but > it can vary by an enormous amount. > > Precision approaches (such as ILS) have a decision height (DH) instead > -- that's the lowest you're allowed to go on the glidescope without > seeing the runway. When you hit DH without visual contact, you go > missed immediately, without any levelling off. DH is usually 200 ft > AGL, lower for a specialized Cat II approach. > > Here's an easy way to remember: from the side, a precision approach > looks like a ramp, while a non-precision approach looks like a > staircase. > > > Maybe if I ask enough questions, I'll have you on the road to CFI/CFII... > > Nope. > > All the best, > > David > > -- > David Megginson, [EMAIL PROTECTED], http://www.megginson.com/ > > _______________________________________________ > Flightgear-devel mailing list > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > http://mail.flightgear.org/mailman/listinfo/flightgear-devel _______________________________________________ Flightgear-devel mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://mail.flightgear.org/mailman/listinfo/flightgear-devel
